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Retired NFL wide receiver Julian Edelman wished Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady a happy 44th birthday in a rather unconventional fashion on social media.
The former New England Patriots star posted an edited version of Brady's viral video with clips of the quarterback getting snubbed for high-fives. Here's the video:
The first clip is from the Patriots' 41-7 thrashing of the Baltimore Ravens during the 2013 NFL season. After a defensive touchdown by the Patriots, Brady held out his left hand expecting a high-five, only for his teammates to snub the quarterback.
The second clip is from the Buccaneers' 30-20 victory over the New Orleans Saints in the 2020 NFL playoffs. Brady scored a touchdown with a quarterback sneak and tried to high-five a referee in the endzone after celebrating with his teammates, only to be brutally rejected.
The third clip is from the Patriots' incredible 37-31 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2018 NFL playoffs at Arrowhead Stadium. The Patriots went into the game as heavy underdogs against the Chiefs but raced to a 14-0 lead in the dying moments of the second quarter.
Brady found Philip Dorsett in the endzone with a stellar pass that put the Patriots up two scores, which prompted a rallying cry from Edelman, yelling at the quarterback that "he's too old." The wide receiver was mockingly reiterating what was said about Brady in the media in the build-up to the 2019 NFL playoffs.
The Patriots not only beat the Chiefs but also went on to topple the Los Angeles Rams in the lowest-scoring Super Bowl in NFL history, winning their sixth Lombardi Trophy. Edelman was named Super Bowl MVP.
Brady and Edelman’s bromance
In addition to their telepathy on the football field, Brady and Edelman have also been great friends since the latter was drafted by the Patriots in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL draft.
During their time together with the Patriots, the duo combined for 41 touchdowns and played in five Super Bowls, winning three.
The Buccaneers were reportedly interested in signing Edelman this offseason and reuniting the duo. But the wide receiver’s injury concerns were mounting since the Patriots' Super Bowl win over the Rams, and after a failed physical in April, Edelman decided to call it a day and retired as a Patriot.
When asked about Edelman's retirement, Brady jokingly responded:
"We know Julian didn't retire. Let's be honest. He's just too scared to tell Bill (Belichick) he wants to come to Tampa."
Whether Edelman stays retired or returns after a year off - as former teammate Rob Gronkowski did - to join Brady on the Buccaneers remains to be seen.
Irrespective of that, Brady and Edelman still share a great rapport as friends. Apart from the high-fives, of course.
